Wandering Spirits: A What If Story
by JC-Puzzler
Summary: AUWe all know that when Obi Wan told Luke that he was not the only one with such a power, he commented that Luke had a twin sister, but what if he had meant to say that Luke had a twin AND a sister? What would that mean? Where has his wayward twin been?
1. Introducing: Prologue

A What If Story...

Disclaimer: We all know that I do not own any recognizable characters in this story. However, Lonny and Maria are mine. This is definitely AU and written just for fun (and because I could not get the idea out of my head until I attempted to do something about it). I apologize in advance if anyone else out there has come up with this idea, but know that it would be purely coincidence, as I have never read Star Wars fanfic and have only recently seen the original trilogy, so it is very possible that I am entering territory that has already been explored.

Note: Truce at Bakura did not take place. (Just heard about it from a friendly SW fanatic.)

Summary: We all know that when Obi Wan told Luke that he was not the only one with such a power, that he commented that Luke had a twin sister, but what if he had meant to say that Luke had a twin AND a sister? What would that mean, in regards to Leia? Would that mean that she was just Luke's sister? Where has his wayward twin been all of this time?

Chapter 1

Lonny woke up with a start. He was sure that he had heard something. Had someone been calling him? He rolled out of bed and looked around. Something was different. He could feel it. When he was younger, there had been times that he had somehow just known that something important had happened, but was never able to understand it. He looked over at his 'family'. He knew he was different from them, but he had never been able to place exactly why he felt this way. Occasionally, he had been known to 'feel' that something bad was about to happen and been able to warn the others in just enough time for them to not be caught unawares by the threat. He also felt, with a certainty that he could not explain, that he should have grown up alongside someone else, someone more like him. He had begun to feel an even greater urge to just leave these people and attempt to make it on his own just a few years earlier. He had felt that it was extremely important that he distance himself from the land he had grown up in, but also did not want to leave these people to fend for themselves, as his instincts had saved their lives many times already. Yet, the idea that he simply needed to leave, and leave now, was currently the strongest that it had ever been, by a few times over. Just a few weeks ago, he had finally decided that the time was right for him to leave, yet, now that he looked around for the source of what he thought he had heard, he hesitated. He did not want to leave this place, but had always felt somewhat restless, as though he realized that he should not have been here, but somewhere else. Sighing, he walked through the doorway and into the triple sunrise. For some odd reason, the multiple suns rising had been a bit of a comfort to him from the moment they came to this star system about ten years prior, almost as if it was a sign. With a sigh, he turned away from the sight and went back inside to collect his few things and get something to eat. He resolved that he would leave after everyone had woken and had some breakfast, so he would have a chance to say goodbye to these creatures that had taken him in all those years ago when he was found wandering, in a daze, away from all of that destruction...

He sighed to himself again. 'I promised myself that I would never think of that again,' he thought. 'It will not make this day any easier. After all, I have known these people for most of my life. The last time that I saw anyone that even might be related to me was when I turned my back and ran from the carnage that day and I vowed to myself that I would never think of such a sight again, lest they find me and...'

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized that the others had begun to wake and some were staring at him, almost as if they knew he was thinking again of that day. One of them, Maria, was beginning to look worried at the look on his face and he quickly smiled at her, though he knew that she would not be fooled once she had realized what was going through his head. Now, she was frowning at him. She was the one who had made the decision to take care of him, at the risk of being alienated by her own people. Her people had been afraid that he would grow up and turn against them, but she had argued that he was just a young child and that if they aided in his survival, maybe someday he would prove to be a great ally. She had been right, of course, but none of them had expected that he would have been able to help them so much or that he would turn out to be tall enough to be spotted so easily in a crowd, especially since he had been shorter than most of the other young ones his own age when he was found. 'Although, his height has proved to be both an advantage and a disadvantage,' she thought sadly. 'Whenever the Storm Troopers came around, if Lonny was anywhere within sight, they would stay and ask us questions about him and why he was traveling around in our company. Once, I fancied that he had managed to make them look the other way when we crossed, completely ignoring us. It was very odd, yet he did not seem to understand what had happened himself, so I just never asked. Now, he is about to leave us. Where have the years gone?' Seeing his questioning look, she just smiled up at him, though there were tears in her eyes at the thought of him no longer being with them, though she knew that he needed some time away from them to try to find others of his own kind.

Meanwhile...

In a galaxy, not so very far away, Luke looked around him at his surroundings. He had recently discovered that Leia was his sister and that their father was none other than Darth Vader, whose very name had been a cause for fear and alarm not so long ago. Currently, his sister was beginning to wake up. 'She is in love with Han, yet she does not seem to realize it yet,' he thought to himself. 'Or does she?' His gaze shifted to the form of Han Solo, who was beginning to wake up as well. 'If he breaks her heart, I swear that I will hurt him,' he thought.

_Luke._ He looked around, but saw nothing. _Luke, it is I._ This time he was sure of it. Barely thinking on what he had heard, he smiled, thinking of the one who usually spoke to him through the Force. "I hear you. What is it?" he asked aloud. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a figure. Turning, he realized he seemed to be looking into a mirror of some sort, though it must have been very dirty and he looked sad for some reason.

_Luke, that is no mirror._ He heard the voice again, knowing who it was, and turned back around in question. The figure that appeared every-so-often to him looked somewhat grim. _Luke, you are clean, happy, and victorious after the latest battle. The figure you see is dirty, unhappy, and is leaving someone important to him behind. You must find him before it is too late,_ the voice repeated.

"Who is he?" Luke asked.

_Someone you have always known, yet never seen with your own eyes..._

AN:

_..............Uh-oh. What could the figure speaking to Luke mean?_

Let me know if you think that this story is worth continuing. If so, updates may be slow because I am not normally very creative, but like I said, the idea would not leave me alone. Also, I am a college student, so I will likely have a lot of homework/studying to do most of the time. If you think it is worth it, I will definitely continue, though it may be a while between updates.

BTW, this is my very first fanfic, of any kind, so PLEASE read & review. (I know I tended to be a bit of a lurker in the past, but I have joined recently and have several LOTR fanfics on alert... Oh, and I have reviewed, on different stories,several times, so I am getting more involved...)


	2. Instinct, Restless

Chapter 2

He was torn out of his thoughts by a voice.

"Luke, are you alright? You have a funny look on your face."

Luke smiled. "I am just fine. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Will you tell me what you were thinking just a moment ago? It must have been something pretty serious to have you so deep in thought that you did not seem to see me approach."

"Do not worry, Leia. It is nothing. I just have this funny feeling that I have missed something. There seems to be a slight change in the Force lately, as if there is another who is able to use the Force. I mean, besides those who are here. Yet I got the impression that I was to be the last to be formally trained as a Jedi knight. Very odd..." he muttered to himself.

They had been here since the galaxy had received word of the Emperor's death and the death of Darth Vader, who had rejoined the Force as his former self, Anakin Skywalker, father of Luke Skywalker and his newfound sister, Leia. Yet, in spite of the supposed freedom and peace that had been found at their deaths, Luke had been feeling somewhat restless; though he had hidden it as well as he could from the others, attempting to get his impatience and restlessness under control. He had always felt more relaxed when he gazed at the rising and setting of multiple suns and moons than he had during the few times that he had spent in a single star system, though he had figured that it was because the rising and setting lasted longer and had better effect in star systems that had more than one star.

The words he had heard earlier came back to his mind, once again. _'Luke, that is no mirror.' 'Someone you have always known, yet never seen with your own eyes…' 'You must find him.' _He had first heard them, through the Force, a few days ago and still could not figure out exactly what it meant. Worse, he had been warned that he must find this person before it was too late, and he had no idea who this person was, let alone where!!

He could tell that she did not really believe him, but what could he say? '"The Force told me that I must find someone that I do not know, have a name for, or a place to associate him with. He looks a lot like me, though." Yeah, right. That would go over real well. They would all think that I had gone crazy due to the time I spent with my father and the Emperor just before their deaths,' he thought.

_Luke, just trust your instincts. They will not lead you astray. You must find him, before it is too late. There is still evil out there, though it had been hoped that he would be left out of this._

Again, he had been caught by surprise by the Force. The very same Force that he had thought that he was able to control had now caught him off guard. Was he losing his touch? What should he do? He knew that he would never be allowed to simply leave, with no destination in mind. What would happen to the others if he left? None of them were capable of controlling the Force yet, although his sister was now able to understand it and the others had seen him control it. 'What a mess I am getting myself into! I used to long for this type of life, yet now that I have it, I am being told that I must leave all that I have ever known behind, in search of someone or something that I have never heard of!'

_You are not leaving **everything** that you have ever known. If all goes well, you will see this place again. With another at your side._

'This still does not make any sense. We are safe here, are we not?'

_You still have much to learn, for you are young yet._

'Then why do you not teach me, if I still have so much to learn?' he demanded, getting a bit impatient at the one behind the voice.

_You will learn, in time._

Suddenly, Luke seemed to remember that his sister was still standing beside him, waiting for an explanation. "Leia, I would like to stay here with you, but I feel there is something I must do," he began hesitantly. Inwardly, he was pleading with her to not ask for any details because he dreaded the pitiful answer he would be forced to give her, since he could not really give her any details, and she might be more inclined to let him go if she did not realize that he had no idea where he was going. On the other hand, maybe she would try to talk him out of what he now felt was the right course of action. 'Maybe she will try to convince me that I am being foolish. Perhaps it is too late for him anyways,' he thought.

_Luke, if you leave soon enough, it will not be too late. You must decide quickly, for the fate of others depends on this._

Luke thought for a moment longer, then made a decision…

------------

Lonny took one last look at those gathered around him, hoping that it would not be the last time that he would see them alive, then left quickly, before he could change his mind again.

Maria, though sad at his departure, hoped and prayed that he would be safe in his travels, never once giving thought to the idea that the safety of her own people would no longer be guaranteed…

!?!?!AN: -Stands, clears throat- I'd like to thank a few people: Doreen and SoloKenobi. Thank you for your support in reviews. Very touching. -Sees others who didn't review- I'd like to thank my silent audience, as well. -Spots a few familiar faces in crowd just before sitting down- Oh!And I'dlike to thank my friends who have been ssoo supportive of me during this story... Am I forgetting anyone? -Sees GL glaring at me- -Quickly adds- Oh yeah! And thanks to the wonderful author and director of the original story, without whom I never would have gotten the ideas... -Quickly sits, looks nervously at audience, relaxes- !?!?!


	3. Worries, Changes

Chapter 3

Once again, thoughts of that horrible day were plaguing his mind, but this time he found he was unable to escape those thoughts. In the past, one person had always been able to keep him from these thoughts, yet now that person was no longer in sight. He had made up his mind to go, and now he was stuck with the consequences of that decision.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to turn around. The sight that greeted him was one he had wished to never see again. He blinked his eyes, hoping that they were deceiving him, yet it was still there. He hid behind a hill, watching as craft from another system came into view. Were they the same ones who had killed his people, forcing him to wander alone? Hearing a cry coming from the direction he had just come from, he sprang into action, hoping that he was not too late. Then something happened. Suddenly he seemed to see someone standing next to him. The person suddenly looked right at him, as if to prove that they were really there with him, yet seemed a bit confused at the sight of him. Then the picture seemed to vanish. "No, wait! Do not leave me here alone!" he found himself saying, almost desperate to find out who it was and why he had been there, even for a moment.

The next thing he knew, he was running toward the village he had left a short time ago…

----

Leia could tell that her brother was struggling with something. She saw it in his eyes, yet did not know what 'it' was. Suddenly, she seemed to perceive that something was happening, yet all she knew was that no one except her brother and herself seemed to sense that something important was going on. Then, she realized that it had to do with the Force, since Luke and she were the only ones in the group to be able to sense the Force, though Luke had been trained in how to control it and she had not. It was in their blood. No one else was able to fully grasp what the Force was, much less understand or be able to control it. Now that she knew that it had to do with the Force, all she had to do was convince Luke to open up to her and tell her what was troubling him. No problem, right?

"Luke, I know that something bothers you. What is happening? There has been a change in the Force."

He looked at her, silently, for a moment. When he answered her, his voice was grave. He had made his decision. "I must leave this place. Please do not try to stop me, for if I delay in leaving, others may suffer."

"Where must you go?"

He sighed. He had known that she would ask, yet had hoped that she wouldn't. "I do not know yet, but there is someone that I must find," he told her truthfully.

"Who is it? Maybe I could help you."

"I do not know his name, but I know that he must be found, and soon."

"Do you have anything to go on? You say that you do not know where to go or what his name is. How will you find him?"

"I must follow my instincts. I have received a warning that something terrible may happen if I am unsuccessful, though I have asked myself the very same question."

Leia looked at him, attempting to decide if it would be a good idea to let him leave, as he seemed to want to do, or if she should get the others to try to keep him here. 'He is stubborn sometimes, yet he does not seem to have a clue about where to even start looking for this mysterious person he keeps talking about. How does he expect to succeed in his goal?' '_Do not try to stop me,'_ he had said. _'Others may suffer…'_ 'Maybe he has an idea of where to start looking for this person, but is reluctant to tell me. Why does he keep it a secret?'

The pair had spent as much time together as their respective duties (and private schedules) would allow in the aftermath of what had been revealed to them and the destruction of the Death Star, yet at times they realized that they were still strangers to each other. Though siblings, they had grown up on completely different worlds, being raised in different cultures. The planet that she had grown up on had been very peaceful, but had been completely destroyed a few years earlier by the Death Star. Though Luke had lost the family that he had grown up with as well, the planet he grew up on still existed. Each had lost many of their friends in their attempts to destroy the Death Star, when there had been a need for a Rebellion. They had survived though, partly due to Han Solo, Chewie, and their friends. Time after time, Han had threatened to leave and go back to his old life, only to come to their rescue at the last possible second. They had learned the hard way that, if they were to survive intact, they had to be able to trust one another with their very lives, although the conditions they had met in could have easily caused them to mistrust one another.

Leia had to admit to herself that Luke had proven that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, yet could not forget the worry she had felt each time he had disappeared, without a word to anyone of his intentions, even before she realized that he was her brother. There had been that time when he was on patrol and went missing… There had also been the time that the Rebellion had fled their base, intending to regroup in another system, but he did not show up with the others… Sighing, she realized that she should simply be grateful that he was at least warning her that he intended to leave, _before_ he left.

"I cannot stop you from leaving. But…"

--AN: I seem to be having trouble with the symbols I would like to use for breaks, but I am currently attempting to find ways around this little problem. Anyways... -changes subject- Time for review responses! Yeah! Woo-hoo! -random fans cheer, others simply stare- -Gulps, regains composure- Well...yeah...um...anyways. It's time for me to give a shout out to a few of you! -smiles, looks over reviews- Well, now...

To Arami (or should I say, 'Monk'?): You're right: I WON'T let you hear the end of it if you refuse... After all, you need me, right? I am the great, the powerful, the wonderful...Sharona!! -sees everyone staring, blinks- -crickets- -mumbles- Boy, tough crowd... -moves on-

To SoloKenobi: I appreciate your support! -grins, hands over random award- You know, it would be interesting to see what happens if they meet... I also wonder what would happen if they never did, but maybe someone should introduce them... After all, weird happenings do...happen... -smiles, thinks to self- You know, maybe this one will one day receive an award for being the most supportive...supporter... -grins-

To Shi-Nom: You're absolutely right! I imagine that this takes place shortly after the end of Ep. 6... A few of the details you request are bound to reveal themselves in due time... If you are patient enough to wait...

To my favorite lurkers: I understand if you are shy... I also understand if you simply do not have the time to review... After all, everyone starts out as lurkers, though many seem to recover very quickly... Quite nicely, too... -nods to self, hoping lurkers get hint-

To everyone: "May the Force (that drives you) be with you...always..."

My thanks to Lilliena, faithful and true... (Okay, okay... She's the one who got me started... She's the one who got me to watch the OT in the first place... Although, when she saw the first few chapters, shortly after I wrote them...Her expression was priceless!!! She has been the one who continued to support my story and encouraged me to continue... -thinks to self- As if I could have stopped at that point... -gets back to point- All who appreciate this story and any accuracy in it, should blame-I mean, thank- her for proof-reading and explaining a few vague, random details throughout...) Thanx, Miss Crazy-About-Hayden!!! -ducks as Lilliena throws random objects at me- -glares playfully-


	4. Dread

Chapter 4

"I cannot stop you from leaving. But I do wish you would be careful and let me know if you need any help. I will also need to have at least some idea of where you are intending to go, especially if one of the others asks me. I cannot just say that I have no idea where you are going or what you intend to do. It may not be safe just yet."

Luke just stared at her for a moment. 'I really did not expect this to be so easy. Maybe she knows what is at stake. I really cannot afford to have her change her mind. I may have delayed too long already, due to my indecision.' "I have to get going. I will let you know where I am as soon as I know where I am going. Do not worry. I can take care of myself. I will see you again, just as soon as this is all over…"

----------  
Reaching the village, he could only hope that he was not too late to save these people who had been so good to him. 'Especially Maria. Especially after all that she has done for me,' he thought, attempting to increase his speed.

Maria. He was closer to her than to anyone else. 'If anything has happened to her…' He tried to shake that thought off. He could not allow the past to repeat itself. He would try to save them, if it was not too late already.

_Young man, be careful. It is not your fate to die yet. There will be another here soon, looking for you. Do not fear him._

Startled, he stopped running, nearly tripping. He had felt threats coming before, but never had he had the sensation that someone was speaking directly to him. What did it mean?

'_Do not fear him,'_ it had said. 'Him? Him who?'

_You will know when you see him. Do not be fooled by another._

There it was again! Just when he had been about to tell himself that he was hearing things and to start running again! 'My senses have failed me this time. When I woke, I had a bad feeling that something would happen, yet I thought that it had simply been regret that I was leaving them all behind. My senses were trying to tell me that danger was approaching, yet I ignored it and the others are suffering the consequences!' Now he knew for sure that someone was after him. 'Should I head back and try to help them, one last time? Or should I continue on my way and hope that they do not find out where I am and catch up to me? And who is it that I should not fear?' Sighing, he tried to forget about the last time that he had wandered away from a village he had lived in. He could not afford to take the time to relive hearing the screams and seeing the smoke that had risen, separating him from all that had been familiar and taking away his childhood innocence. Instead, he resumed running, hoping that he had made the right choice, not knowing that another person, the one he had seen so briefly, was thinking the same thought…

-?!?!?!?-AN: To SoloKenobi: Hehe! Ever notice how the 'main men' (ex.: Luke and Han...) in Leia's life have a bad habit of NOT telling her whenever they decide to simply wander off...alone?!? It seems that, for once, Luke has decided to break this little habit... Does that mean that he has finally decided to grow up? Or is he simply desperate...for Leia's permission, as his only family? Or is he seeking reassurance that he has made the right decision? Hmmm.... Think more on this, we must... (smiles at you) By the way, congrats on being the _only_ reviewer this time around... -?!?!?!?-


	5. Leaving

Chapter 5

"What are you waiting for?!? Go on; get out of here, before I change my mind!!"

"Know that I love you and that I will be back when I can," he replied. Quickly, he kissed her forehead, then turned to find one of the droids and get what he would need: food, his lightsaber, and a few other supplies, just in case. Soon, he had gotten it all together and was heading towards one of the smaller crafts.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing?!?" yelled a voice. Luke knew who it was without turning around.

"I do not have time to explain. So do not make me. There is something that I must do, and I will do it alone."

"Over my dead body! Get away from that craft right now and tell me what in the galaxy is going on in here!"

"You may ask my sister once I am gone, if you do not wish to wait for my return." 'If I do return,' he thought.

"Luke! What is so important that you are trying to sneak out of here in that thing? I want an answer right now!"

"Not now, Han! You can yell at me all you want when I get back," said Luke, as he finished with his preparations and climbed into the pilot seat. With a "Good-bye, Han. Tell everyone that I am fine and will be back just as soon as I can. Take care of Leia for me", he was gone.

'What am I going to do with that boy? He thinks he knows everything. He thinks he can just take off at a moment's notice, head off into unknown danger. One of these days, he's gonna get himself killed, and I won't be there to cover his rear because he just disappears without telling anyone where he's headed off to!' Unfortunately, Han did not know just how right he was. Luke had been known to just disappear, without warning, if it seemed to suit his purpose. 'Like the time that he surrendered himself to Vader. Leia was so worried about him…'

Han was unconsciously echoing the very same thoughts that another had recently been thinking…

---------------------

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

'This cannot be happening!!! Not again!!' thought Lonny as he raced towards the village. The closer he got, the more afraid he was of the sight he feared would greet him. Yet he could not turn back now. It was as if some outside force was making him run, full speed, towards the obvious disaster. He could already see the smoke; soon he would feel the flames as well. He could hear voices crying out in pain, as they were burned alive. He found himself drawn towards the closest dwelling. He had grown up in the one a few spaces down, yet he had spent a great deal of his time here as well. As he approached, he thought that he could hear someone crying out, though the voice seemed to be somewhat weak from inhaling a lot of smoke. When he got to the entrance, he froze mid-step. He could not see anything inside, it was so full of smoke, and the flames were so high that they easily reached the roof. He turned around slowly, trying to make out if anyone was inside, and if there _was_ anyone,whether the person had survived long enough for him to save their life. 'There! It's coming from under there!' he thought to himself. Apparently, someone had indeed been inside when it had been set on fire, and that person was now trapped underneath a fallen beam. Rushing forwards, he attempted to cover his mouth and nose so that he could breathe while he attempted the rescue. Drawing closer, he found an old friend of his. The figure looked to be barely alive. He scooped it up and dashed back outside.

"Lonny, find Maria," a weak voice stated.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"I was trying to find her, when the attack came," was the response, as the form in his arms coughed and tried to catch his breath. "She had gone inside one of the houses, saying something about trying to save that old stick of hers."

Lonny paused, remembering which 'stick' his friend was referring to. It was an odd piece, to be sure, that Maria claimed she had found around the time her people had come across Lonny himself. He had been very young at the time and had not understood what it was, only that the family he had been living with, before they had been brutally murdered, had deemed it very important for him to have when he got old enough. He had known where it had been kept, but had been warned to not touch it until he reached a certain age. That age had not come soon enough for him to learn more about the strange looking 'stick' from them. At first, he had thought that it had been destroyed in the fire. Then Maria had found it and asked him about it. He had found it odd that it would have survived such a fire, when nothing else had remained intact. Hearing coughing and the flames, he was pulled out of his memories and back to the present.

"I have to try to find her," he said. "Will you be alright if I set you down in the center while I look?"

"I fear I will not survive this, either way," his old friend replied. "You are young, though. You may survive this, if you hurry."

'_It is not your fate to die yet.'_ The words echoed in his head. Maybe his friend was right, maybe he would survive, though he was not sure if he would want to, if everyone around him did not. He laid his friend down, making him as comfortable as he could. "I will be back to check on you," he said, inwardly adding, 'to see if you still live.'

Both knew that the chances that Lonny's friend would survive were very slim, yet neither wanted to say it aloud, almost as if doing so would make it become a reality. "Go! Before it is too late for all of the others," his friend gasped, barely able to breathe now.

Lonny left.

!?!?!- AN: I sincerely apologize that it has taken me so long to get this chapter up... As a result, I think you deserve to receive _extra_ chapters this week. Also, since school has started up again (as of almost two weeks ago), updates may not be as regular as intended, but I will do my best... For now, enjoy! -!?!?!


	6. Frustrations, Searching

!?!?!- AN: As promised, an extra chappie!!

Reminder: (So I won't get sued...)

Disclaimer: We all know that I do not own any recognizable characters in this story. However, Lonny and Maria are mine. This is definitely AU and written just for fun (and because I could not get the idea out of my head until I attempted to do something about it). I apologize in advance if anyone else out there has come up with this idea, but know that it would be purely coincidence, as I have never read Star Wars fanfic and have only recently seen the original trilogy, so it is very possible that I am entering territory that has already been explored.

Note: Truce at Bakura did not take place. (Just heard about it from a friendly SW fanatic.) -!?!?!

Chapter 6

"Where am I supposed to go?!?"

Luke was frustrated. He did not like the idea that he was leaving, alone. Sure, he had Artoo, but it was not the same. He did not know where he was going. Sighing, he decided to just pick a system and hope for the best…

----------------------------

"You said what?!?"

"I told him to get out of here, before I changed my mind."

"And you did not think to get him to tell you where he was going?!?"

"He is quite capable of taking care of himself, as you well know," came the reply.

"But you don't know where he is even headed, do you?!?"

"Of course I don't know! He does not know himself!" she replied, getting upset, but trying to hide it by getting angry at the figure in front of her.

Sighing, he tried to calm down, knowing that if she was getting angry, he should try to watch his step, before it was too late. After all, this was her brother they were arguing about! Yeah, he had started to grow somewhat attached to the boy, but he just seemed to attract trouble everywhere he went! And Han Solo knew all about trouble. He seemed to attract trouble himself, though he would never admit it. To make matters worse, he had found himself enjoying the company of Luke's sister, Leia, though he had no intentions of settling down. At least, not just yet… And he had no intentions of letting her have the last word, either…

--------

Lonny did not have the chance to think about the fact that those who had set fire to the village might still be there. All he could think of was whether or not anyone else had survived…

!?!?!- AN:

This is where it will get more interesting, as I will now have to deal with three or more points of view: Lonny's, Luke's, and Han and Leia's. As a result, there will tend to be more cliffhangers, as I may end up not dealing with one or more points of view each chapter from here on out...

Please read and review!! (I try to respond to every review I get...)

Reply to Review:

To seenthelight: Glad that you remember this chap., but you still haven't read the whole thing... (Not even Lilliena has!!) Anyways, what do you mean, "stay out of the dark side and stay in the light"? _I'm_ the one who has _always_ been 'in the light', remember? smiles and winks Anyways, remember: if you need a beta, I'm here for you! -!?!?!


	7. Searching

Chapter 7

Luke had set his course. Now, to find out if it was the right one…

His craft slowed as it entered the system. Before him were three main planets. The first one had only one moon and it seemed to be a very dark reddish color. The second one had at least five moons and it appeared that there would always be at least one of them in the sky by the way they were spaced out. Yet, he felt somewhat drawn to the third one. This one had a purplish tint to its surface and had maybe ten or more moons revolving around it. 'Am I in the right system? Or is there another reason why I ended up choosing this particular system?' he wondered. He decided to get closer to the purple tinted planet, but then headed towards one of its moons instead. 'Why did I come here in the first place?' he asked himself, frowning. He needed some time to think things through a little better, to get some answers, if any were to be found. He knew that he had been told to hurry, but he still did not know who he was looking for or where the person would be found.

_You will know him when you find him,_ said a very familiar voice.

"Why can't you just tell me something more about him? How do you expect me to find someone without having anything to go on?" Luke demanded, getting more impatient by the second at his lack of knowledge about this mysterious person he was expected to locate.

_All in due time, young Luke Skywalker…_

-  
"Maria! Where are you?"

The lone voice that was crying out did not go completely unnoticed by those who could still hear it. These were the Troopers that had been sent to destroy what seemed to be a random village and what few villagers remained. About half of the village had been wiped out by the Troopers themselves, before they had set it on fire. Now only a small handful were still alive, though they were all slowly burning alive and suffocating on the thick smoke. One in particular who still lived was beginning to lose hope that she would survive the attack. She had been looking for something that she thought was extremely important and might have been part of the reason behind the attack. It had occurred to her that it was the only thing, besides the child she had come to care for, that had survived the destruction of another village, years ago, and that the Troopers had been troubling her people ever since its discovery. Now she was hearing the same child, though he had grown quite a bit since then, calling out. She tried desperately to answer him, but her throat was too sore from all the smoke she had inhaled and her desperate calls for help. Her mind was growing fuzzy and she was afraid that if she lost consciousness that she would never wake again. She tried again to answer the voice she had heard, if only faintly above the roar of the fire. The roof sounded as if it was about to collapse. If it did, she would be trapped under it, yet she did not feel that she had the strength to move from where she was anyway. Perhaps it would be better for her to just give up and let herself die here. She doubted that anyone else had survived anyway and was a bit unsure whether she really had heard a voice calling for her or if it was just her imagination, at this point. She silently hoped that Lonny had gotten far enough away to not realize what had happened to them, so soon after his departure. There it was again! Was it possible that he was really there? That it had not been just her imagination? She tried again, more determined, to answer him. This time, she managed to call out, though only in a whisper. "Lonny, is that you? I'm in here! I can't get out! Help me!" Desperation and determination to survive this, if only for his sake, caused her to succeed in her goal of calling out to him, even if there was no way that he would have been able to hear her. Inspired by her slight success, she tried again, attempting to be heard over the sound of the flames around her, determined to let him know that she had not perished just yet.

"Maria!" 'I know that you are here somewhere!' "Anyone! Please! Answer me!" 'I cannot find you if I do not know to even look.'

- AN: To Solarstorm: Glad you like... PLEASE don't Force-choke me-pleads desperately- No! Don't-Aack- Can't...Breathe... Can't...Finish...If...choked...-faints from lack of oxygen- Hope you enjoyed this one!


	8. Doubts

Chapter 8

Suddenly, Luke's head snapped up. He had been startled, once again, by the Force. This time, however, it had not been the individual voice that he had become used to hearing; it sounded like many more voices, voices that were crying out in pain and anguish, just before fading away again, leaving his ears ringing with their echoes. This upset him greatly, as he did not quite understand the meaning of this event.

_Many have lost their lives this day,_ said the voice of Obi Wan Kenobi.

"Who? Is the one I am supposed to find among them?" Luke asked, worried that he had indeed been too late.

_He is still alive, though for how long remains to be seen. He is in danger still, though he does not understand this fact._

"What do you expect me to do? I do not know where he is! I do not even know why I am HERE!"

_Patience, young Luke._

'What good is patience, if someone's life is in danger?' he thought miserably…

-  
-

'That's it. Keep calling for help. Do not worry, we will find him,' thought the hidden figure. 'Just keep on looking for a way out. We will make sure that no one survives, this time. We will not make the same mistake again…'

-  
-

"Maria! Answer me! I cannot find you in all this smoke if you do not answer me!"

Then, he heard an answer, though he was not sure if he was looking forward to what he was sure that he would find. Someone was still alive, but for how much longer? A hoarse scream came from behind him. Spinning around, he saw something that he had somehow dreaded, as unreasonable and improbable as it might have seemed. For some reason, now understood, he had been hesitant to hope for anyone to have lived long enough for him to rescue. Now though, he found himself faced with a terrible decision: continue to look for survivors, as unlikely as it may be that anyone else had survived, and condemn an old friend to death in the process, or allow anyone who had managed to hold on long enough for his return, in hopes that they would be able to recover from such an ordeal, to slowly burn alive and have those hopes crushed in favor of saving his friend who he knew was still alive. Should he sacrifice the known for the unknown? Or should he sacrifice the unknown in hopes of saving the known survivor? For indeed, the source of the scream had come from the center of the village, the one place that he knew contained a potential survivor, if he lasted long enough to recover. He knew that if he delayed in his actions and did not decide soon enough, the choice would be taken from him. If he offered himself up, would they leave the others alone? If they did, would the others be able to help each other survive? Would he be killed himself and end up being an unneeded sacrifice? 'If only I knew what to do in such a situation.' He knew that chances were good that they would kill everyone who still drew breath either way…


	9. Waiting

Chapter 9 - Waiting

'Death? Whose?'

Leia had known the moment that her home planet had been destroyed. She had both seen it happen and felt the people's distress when they were killed, though the feeling had been very brief, as it had been all over in a matter of a few minutes-nearly instantaneous. Now, she knew many others had lost their grip on the physical realm, though nowhere near as many as those from her planet, which had been destroyed by the Death Star a few years prior. No, it was a smaller amount, yet there were others who seemed to be on the edge; she could feel it. She had been worried about her brother before; now she was torn between hoping that he had not been caught up in whatever had happened and hoping that he was near enough to lend his aide to whoever it was that was in trouble.

_Be at ease, Luke is just fine,_ said a voice. She had recently begun to understand that there was one in particular that was able to speak directly to her brother through the Force and was confident that she had just heard him for herself. She figured that if he was telling her that Luke was okay, then maybe she had been worried over nothing. _…For now…_

Okay, maybe not…

-

-  
-  
Luke was trying to 'trust his instincts', but it seemed that they were telling him to stay right where he was. How could that be? He was supposed to be finding someone who was in danger, yet he was just waiting around-why? For a sign? Luke sighed. At this rate, he was never going to finish this little mission he had been sent on. Looking around him, he saw very little sign that anyone had ever been here before. Why had he chosen this moon, orbiting this planet, in this star system? It just did not seem to add up. He felt his instincts had not been wrong, yet he was in the middle of nowhere. Literally…

He spun around. He thought he had heard someone, though he could not be sure. Who would be dumb enough to come here? 'Well, obviously I was. So the question is, who **else** would come here? And why?' he corrected himself. In the distance, he now could make out a spot on the horizon, though at this distance, he could not possibly be able to figure out exactly what it was or what it was doing in the middle of nowhere…

-

-  
-  
Lonny was faced with a nearly impossible decision and no time to think twice about it. 'They are all counting on me, though they think that I am too young. They almost did not let me leave the first time… Now their lives depend on the decision that I make. Maybe I have not been seen yet. But even then, they have probably heard my voice. There is little that I can do about him now,' he thought sadly. He just was not prepared for making the choice that had been set before him. 'Maybe I can just sneak around and find out if there are any survivors before I end up making a decision. After all, I do need to find out what happened to Maria and if she ever found it. If the Troopers find it, they will know that I have been here and continue to look for me in this area.' He knew that his fate was connected to the strange object, though he did not fully understand what it was or what the connection meant. So he set off looking for it, Maria, and the others, hoping that he would not find that it was a waste of time to do so and that his friend's life was either spared, allowing him to have definite company, or that it had a swift end, so that he would not suffer for too long. Unfortunately, he had had a bad feeling that he would never see him again when he had set his friend down. 'Maybe it was not wise for me to have done that. Maybe I should have taken him outside of the village, though it would have taken longer. I likely killed him the moment I chose to leave him there,' Lonny thought, regretfully. He could not change the past, though. He still had people to find and check on. Determined not to let anyone else down, he crept toward the next dwelling, wondering what he would find, if anything…

-  
-AN: Review Time!

To REV042175: I apologize for not responding to your review on my last update. I was attempting to get the post up and you were the only reviewer... Anyways... Glad to see that you think my story is interesting...-smiles- Oh, don't worry: they tie in -winks mischieviously and smiles- Hope you continue to read... -thinks-'I'd hate to lose a reader because I forgot to reply to a review right away...'-

To Arami-scratches head at comment about college- Test? What test-gasps, realizes 'test' was today- Oh, no-mutters- How'd I miss that-shrugs- Oh, well, nothing I can do now... -back to business-clears throat, preparing for an announcement- All of your questions will be answered in due time-steps back, nods-remembers something- Oh, yeah...

To all-prepares for announcement- Coming soon: 'Friendly Banter'. 'Friendly Banter' is a conversation between myself and a friend of mine that occurred late one night, just after I received a review from said friend. This late night conversation will be posted, in short segments, soon, and is based on a comment my friend made in said review... Please enjoy...


	10. Running

Chapter 10 -Running-

Luke found himself running towards the sight. 'It will be a welcome change in scenery if it is indeed a town or trading post of some sort,' he fleetingly thought.

About half an hour later, he could see it a lot better now. Maybe he would be welcomed once they found out who he was… After all, he had risked his life, his very soul, when he had confronted Darth Vader and the Emperor, two of the greatest threats to freedom, and had survived. Not only that, but he had witnessed their deaths, had a part in the events that led up to their ends.

'What if they were loyal to the Emperor?' he thought, frowning and slowing his pace. He had nearly forgotten that there had been many who had been loyal to the Emperor, in spite of the lack of freedom that resulted from his 'reign of terror'.

* * *

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" 

The owner of the voice sounded demanding, yet unsure. He had seen someone or something moving near the horizon. Now that he had everyone else's attention, he hoped he was right, or else he may become a victim himself for what the rest would see as imagining things. None of the others seemed to have noticed the figure; otherwise they would have considered him to be too inattentive and therefore useless.

The figure came straight towards him, looking calmer than he felt. Suddenly he found himself wondering if he had indeed seen a figure at all and talking to himself about what was happening nearby.

Meanwhile, the figure just listened and then slipped off, unnoticed…

* * *

He suddenly felt a strong urge to just leave. He simply knew that something big was about to happen and that he should try to get away. 'Not without finding out what has happened to Maria!' he told himself. He no longer really cared about the object that she had risked her life to save. 'If it survived the last time, chances are it will survive this time. I can come back for it later,' he decided. Now that he was no longer worried about it, he went faster in his search for the one he owed his life to. At last, he thought he heard a moan, coming from the farthest dwelling from where he had started his search. Forgetting that it might not be her, he eagerly ran forward and dashed inside, hoping he had gone unnoticed…

* * *

**AN**: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while... (RL interference...) 

**Padawan Sydney Bristow**: I intend to... RL tends to interfere with scheduled updates, though... I hope you continue to enjoy it!

**seenthelight**: Sorry, but length has been pre-established... Perhaps I should update more often, though? -nervously smiles, hoping reader agrees and does not decide to hurt author-

And now... The first installment of "Friendly Banter"...

Arami's review: Hi, I've finally got back to reading your story. It's an interesting plot, though I can say I prefer LOTR fics to Star Wars fics. As you well know, yours is the only one I read. The fire in the village is an interesting twist. I kinda like it -...gasps at the thought, oh well- It's just much more interesting. I wonder why these troopers were burning up villages anyway? What purpose does it fill to destroy a village of innocents? **You my dear author have a twisted mind. There is no method for your madness. Haha!** Well I'll try to keep up with your story but I'm not promising anything, I too am a student in college. Actually we go to the same college, where have I seen you? -shakes head thinking it over- Oh yah, Accounting 1&2 and economics. Study for the Elasticity test.  
Namarie, Arami

JCPuzzler: Ha ha ha... Oh yeah. And Ha! (You are -so- very funny! lol)  
Sorry... Maybe I should explain... I just read your review... I'm  
even considering what I would say about it when I do my next post...  
-thinks, smiles, winks- You, however, will have to wait and see...  
-grins-

Arami: jcpuzzler,  
Now who's the random one? My review wasn't that funny was it? -...slowly  
dies from laughing-  
I hope my review brightens your week, I am here to entertain people. You  
most especially -> though teasing you is more of a bonus -...haha! Well  
I'll try to keep up with the story just so I can give you reviews based on  
the chapter and my current moods. -BE AFRAID BE VERY AFRAID,  
BWAHAHA!... -smiles evilly-.

JCPuzzler: Three words: You are evil!  
-smiles innocently and backs away slowly from the Evil One-


	11. Heroes?

Chapter 11

_Whatever you do, I'll do it too. __Show me everything and tell me how. __It all means something  
And yet nothing to me..._

-"Strangers Like Me" written by Phil Collins

(Off of Disney's Tarzan)

* * *

Seeing the state of the tiny town that he came to, Luke rushed in to help. "Anyone in here?" he called out tentatively. He did not hear an answer. He paused, concentrating. Then, he sensed, rather than heard, a voice calling out. He was unsure if it was a new language that he had yet to hear and understand or if it was a name, but he knew that there were victims crying out for help. He felt drawn to one in particular, allowing his instincts to take over temporarily, and quietly slipped inside, under cover of the Force. Inside, he could almost hear what he had sensed. It was a voice, very weak, but he hoped whoever it was would survive if he was careful enough and hurried. 

"Lonny!" came a weak voice.

"I cannot see you. Where are you?" he asked. "I am here to help. Tell me where you are, try to stay alert." 'Who would do such a thing, now that the Emperor is dead?' he asked himself.

"I am over here."

"I am coming, do not worry. I will get you out," he tried to reassure whoever it was.

_.-break_-.

Suddenly his senses went on full alert. They were not alone in this place. He could feel it. Reaching out with the Force, he tried to find out what had alerted him. Spinning around, he found himself face to face with a Storm Trooper who had a gas mask on. 'Figures. Things seem to have just gone from bad to worse.' The Storm Trooper seemed to have been expecting him. He ducked, just as the Storm Trooper leveled its weapon on him, and fumbled for his lightsaber. Dropping to one knee, he frantically searched the ground just below him for something to use to deflect the blow, since he could not seem to find it right away. 'I must have dropped it when I was on my way in here,' he thought. But then, he found it. Turning it on, he skillfully deflected the blow that had been intended to kill him. He realized that one of the victims of the evil he saw around him was lying nearby and decided to try to draw the Trooper's fire away from the person, in hopes that he or she could get out of this alive. The Trooper seemed slightly surprised at his obvious skill, as did the person he was trying to save, if the gasp he heard was any indication. 'Don't get too cocky,' he had to remind himself. He did not really feel like fighting the Trooper right now, but he knew that it was a matter of life and death: not only his and the Trooper's, but also the person he was attempting to protect and anyone else who had survived for this long.

* * *

Lonny looked around frantically. He could not see. He had been sure that he had heard someone. 'There! Over in that corner! If they still live, I will not make the same mistake and allow those who attacked us to get to them!' he determined. 

He began to pull them closer to the entrance, closer to fresh air, giving them a better chance of survival. Once he had finished, he also would have a chance to determine which of them were more likely to survive this. Approaching the first figure, he realized, sadly, that Maria would not be found here, but at least he would be able to save some of this little family. He had known the little ones for their entire lives, but they were so small that there was little chance that they would have survived, especially without their parents.

His task completed, he looked at the remains of two of them. There had only been five in the family, the three children so close in age. The mother had been trying desperately to save the middle child, with her own body, and the child was now barely breathing, a combination of nearly being crushed by the mother's weight, smoke inhalation, and the child's small size. The other who had died was the oldest child, who had also been trying to protect the youngest. Shaking his head sadly, he tried to get the father and two youngest children to safety. By time he had them inside a small cave a safe distance away and looked back, he had no hope of finding any other survivors. Sighing, he did what little he knew to do in order to ensure the ultimate survival of what remained of this once happy family and decided to never look back…

* * *

AN: Time for reviews! 

Solarstorm: Don't worry: you're not the only one who goes for long stretches without reviewing! As for their reunion... -zips up lips, ensuring that story secrets are kept- :)

REV042175: More! (Soon enough, I hope?)

* * *

"Friendly Banter", part 2... 

Arami: JcPuzzler,  
You don't know how evil -grins-. I will eventually make you see the light!  
Monk is nothing compared to me. I will review till you go insane and then  
and only then will my secret mission be complete. What is the purpose of my  
mission my dear Puzzler? I cannot reveal for it will ruin my fun...-cough- did  
I just say fun? I meant sinister plan, yah that's it sinister plan.  
-laughing evilly in the background-

JCPuzzler: Oh no! Save me from my evil friends! (So I won't go  
insane!) -evil laugh is heard in the background-

Arami: JCPuzzler,  
Evil? How dare you accuse your friends of being evil? How do think we get  
there in the first place, hmm? Yah, ye heard me, I accuse you of my evil  
tendencies. Insanity has never felt so peaceful since I found  
you... -chuckles evilly in the background-

(BTW: The following advertisement for a fanfic is from one of Arami's responses.)

Arami- fanfiction. net/s/1651993/1 -This is a very funny song I came  
across called "Frodo Got Run Over By A Witch King" by Insane Pineapple from  
Naboo. It's really funny and I recommend it to everyone.


	12. Desperation

Chapter 12

_I can see there's so much to learn.  
It's all so close and yet so far..._

"Strangers Like Me" written by Phil Collins

(Off of Disney's Tarzan)

* * *

Even though he had the advantage of the Force, he was tired after his journey and his rush to find who he had been sent to locate. The combination of these facts had allowed his senses to dull somewhat. It did not help that he was being forced to breathe in large amounts of smoke. All thoughts of heroism had long since fled his mind, turning the fight into a matter of survival. He could not understand why the Trooper was not trying harder to kill him. All of the blows since the initial one had seemed more intended to injure than to kill. 'Why would he opt to injure me instead of killing me?' he wondered idly. His blocks were getting weaker; the blows he was deflecting seemed more forceful; he knew he had to end this, before he was killed himself. In a last desperate attempt to put an end to the fight, he aimed for the Trooper's neck, leaving himself open for injury to his side and mid-section. With the stroke that ended the Trooper's life, Luke himself found that he had obtained a wound on his side. Checking it briefly, he knew he had to get out of here, but he could not just leave the person he had defended to die. He managed to get her out, but glancing back, saw his lightsaber. Confused, he looked at the one in his hand. This one was different, not much, but he knew that it was not his own. Grabbing his, still holding the one he had found, he stumbled to the exit, only to be surrounded. He knew that he could not defeat all of them, injured as he was, especially since he had barely been able to defeat one of them. He looked around quickly, hoping that the creature he had rescued had managed to get away, but there it was: barely breathing, being restrained unnecessarily by one of the Troopers. Sighing, he decided that he did not have the strength to get away, so he would bide his time, regaining his strength, before attempting to escape-'hopefully I can get this creature out safely, too…'

* * *

Lonny threw himself into his efforts to save all three of them, but the youngest appeared to be getting weaker, instead of stronger. Sadly, he realized that he may very well lose this one. The other two, at least, had not gotten any worse, though they had not improved, either. All three were still unconscious, but alive; for that he had to be grateful. He leaned over and dribbled the last few drops of water he had onto their lips, hoping to coat their throats enough that they could breathe a little better in the semi-dry air. Water was precious, necessary, a rare commodity, but he had used most of his canteen to clean off their faces a little and tried to coax some of it down their throats in his efforts to save them. Now, as the last drop landed on the youngest one's lips, he realized that it had been a long time since he had had any to drink for himself. He could not return to the village to get more since he did not know if _they_ had left yet or even if the well had survived intact. He would just have to wait until nightfall and hope for a miracle…

* * *

AN: I have been having troubles with getting my chapters to load on the site. As a result, since I am past my planned update, I intend to load more than one chapter this time around. Enjoy! 

JadeAlmasyand LVB: Thanks!

REV042175: Sorry if I took _too_ long! (See above.)

seenthelight: Do you have a problem with my work, or the site in general? (I have _tried_ your suggestions for spacing, but it simply won't accept them... Sorry, Evil Twin...)

okanabe: The whole idea of this story is that Luke and Leia **are** siblings, but they **aren't** twins... ;)

Altril Narmolanya: Oh? How are we similar? -genuinely curious look- Anyways, some of the POV's are deliberately vague... If they weren't, the story might not flow quite the same way. (In a later chapter, I have a complete section that I wrote -in the middle of the chapter-, but seems to simply **fit** in at that spot... At the time I wrote it, I wasn't deliberately setting out to write it; it just happened, and now I am glad of it...although it **does** seem to be pretty vague at first, I think it flows, so I left it... Occasionally, I might have a sentence or two that doesn't seem to fit, but it will all make sense later, I promise.) As for description, I originally wrote it to be somewhat vague, and am currently working on a possible sequel. Due to requests, I am attempting to fill in some of those little 'holes' as I go... Enjoy! (I hope.)

* * *

"Friendly Banter", part 3: 

JCPuzzler: YOU ARE -SO- EVIL! How -dare- you accuse sweet,  
innocent, little ME of being the cause of YOUR evilness! -glares  
at accusation, hoping it will melt away- I am most certainly NOT  
evil! -tears in sweet, innocent eyes- How **could** you? -lower  
lip quivers in sadness- I am sweet, innocent...angelic... -halo  
shining brightly, just above head- Now look what you have done!  
You -looks at you- made -sniffles- me -a few tears escape, rolling  
silently down cheeks- CRY! -cries-sniffs-

Arami: No more evil than you, my angelic being. Oh, do my eyes deceive me or is your halo tarnished? Tears are not of innocence though but that I would state the obvious truth. -grins/laughing...- Such false pretenses seem below you somewhat, what would the Great Abra think of your "innocent tears and quivering lip, hmmm?" My dear JCPuzzler, there is no method to your madness.


	13. Trouble

AN: For this chapter, pretend that Leia and Han have both forgotten about their brief exchange in the carbon-freezing room...at least for now, due to other circumstances... (They didn't really forget; they just have other things on their minds at the moment... Not to mention, he never really said that he loved her. All he said was "I know...")

* * *

Chapter 13

Leia sat up suddenly, wide-eyed and breathing fast. Her brother was in trouble again; she just knew it. Standing up, she decided that someone would have to go after him, but they would not know where to go if she sent them. She was unsure where to go herself. She was beginning to get an idea, though.

.-break-.

Han opened one eye and looked around. With his shady past, he had gotten used to being able to wake up, even before he was fully awake, and assess whatever situation had woken him up. In this case, he had woken up because he had heard someone else moving around; as quietly as the person had tried to be, he or she had woken him up by their very movements. Lying as still as he could manage, he finally decided who it was that he could see moving about in the dark, based on the figure of the person. Concerned, but trying to hide it, he casually got up and approached her, wondering why she seemed unable to sleep, especially after such a long day.

She seemed to sense his approach and calmly turned towards him, even before he had a chance to say anything. "Luke is in trouble. I just know he is," she said quietly, so as not to disturb anyone else.

"Do you know where he is?"

"He seemed to be in some distress and I think he was close to letting me know when suddenly he seemed unable to continue. I fear for the worst. I need to go to him, but I cannot just leave, not now when everyone is looking to me for answers and guidance. I am torn between duty to the people and my desire to see my brother safe."

"So the question remains, where is that rascal? I bet he thinks that he is invincible and has therefore gotten himself into trouble and does not know what to do about it," declared Han Solo.

"Surely you do not think that my brother has no idea what he is doing! Admittedly, he did not know where exactly he was going or what the person's name was, but he has proved himself capable of taking care of himself, has he not? He is one of the most capable people that I know right now…" 'And you are right up there near him on the list,' she added silently. 'Both of you seem to attract trouble, but are capable of dealing with it sufficiently enough, as your very presence is proof of it.' For some odd reason, she had recently found herself somewhat attracted to this 'scruffy' man, but she knew that she could never admit it; especially after all of the times they had argued and yelled at each other that they would never be attracted to one another. Even then, she had secretly felt herself attracted to him. For some reason, she had found herself enjoying the challenge of making him upset with her. He had threatened, more times than she could count, to leave and go back to his old life, yet had always shown up right when he was needed, protesting the very thought that he had returned on her behalf. He had always claimed that it was simply because he knew no one else could pull off what needed to be done, and ended up saving Luke's life, many times over, as a result. Somehow, she had ended up with the idea that he had done so just to get on her good side and to upset her at the same time… Mentally shaking herself away from these thoughts, she focused once again on the thought of her brother, Luke, who had found himself in danger, yet again.

"We need to find him, right away, Han," she said now, almost pleading with him to give in to her request. Her brother was the only family she had left. If she lost him, too…

* * *

Warily, Luke opened his eyes. Wherever he was, it was dark. He could barely see his hand in front of his face. He knew his hands and feet had been tied, but whoever had done it had tied his hands in front of him. 'They are going to regret their mistake,' he thought. Suddenly he remembered what had happened and tried to quiet his breathing, listening for any sign of the creature he had risked his life to save. If the person had survived, maybe he could still find out what this was all about. 'Maybe whoever I rescued will know the name of the person I seek,' he thought hopefully. Well, he thought he could hear labored breathing, but it might as well have been his own. He tried to reach out through what remained as his only hope. '_Leia. Leia, I have really done it this time. I do not know where I am anymore. The last thing I remember is a village burning on the seventh moon of a purplish planet, last of three. Help me!_' he pleaded, almost whispering in his desperation to let his sister know what had happened before he lost consciousness again. 

What he did not realize is that, although his sister had heard his desperate message, it would not help her to find him, since he was no longer on the surface of said moon, even if she could find the correct system…


	14. Watching & Waking

_"Raise your head up_

_Lift high the load"_

("Two Worlds" by Phil Collins)

Chapter 14

Lonny had been unable to do anything but wait. It was now approaching the second sunset, meaning it was still bright out, but the third sunset usually occurred within an hour of the second. The first sunset was long since over and it would not rise for about eight to ten hours, depending on how long it took for the moon to orbit the other side of the planet and the direction it was facing when it did. His chance would come soon, but already the foursome in the cave was suffering. None of them had had anything to drink since he had given the last drop to the youngest, and that had been maybe five or six hours ago already, in the heat of the day, after they had survived the fire. Lonny himself had not had anything to drink since sometime before and was likely the most dehydrated of the group, yet he could not give up. Not yet, anyway. Not while there was still a slight hope that he could get to the water that they so desperately needed if he were able to wait just a little longer. He did not dare to leave the safety of the cave yet, though, because the other three members of this little group had not regained consciousness and were counting on him to find the strength to make it there and back with water. He could not tell if the Troopers had left yet and he could not afford to abandon the little family until he knew that they would be safe until his return. Therefore, he had to wait, quietly so as not to attract undue attention to the group…

* * *

Luke was waking up again, feeling a little better after the rest. He tried again to see if anyone was near him, especially the unusual creature he had encountered earlier. He still had hopes that it would be able to answer his questions about what exactly had happened. It had become somewhat obvious that they had been looking for someone or something, but what? 

_You cannot give up. There are those who are counting on you…_

'I know people are counting on me. But how can I help them if I am stuck here?' he wondered. If he had not been feeling so awful, he might have been impatient or demanding. Yet he felt that he was barely awake. He knew that he had been captured and was now tied up. Now his side wound was making its presence known. 'Is that why I am so tired?' he thought blandly.

_You must get up. You must do something about your current situation._

"I know, but what?" he muttered, wider awake now. He looked down at his side and felt rather than saw the extent of the damage. He tried to press his cloak against the wound, in an attempt to slow the bleeding even further than it had since he had collapsed. He froze when he heard the slight sound of feet shuffling by him. On impulse, he reached out to get the attention of whatever it was that was about to pass him, not even pausing to wonder what type of creature it was. Suddenly, the creature tripped, half landing on him, before trying to scurry backwards. Luke desperately tried to grab hold of the creature, hoping that he would touch an arm or a leg. The creature cried out weakly in fear. Luke tried to reassure it with his words, but did not know what languages the creature would understand. He finally just decided to try his native tongue and hope that the creature would understand that he did not intend to hurt it. "Please, I need some help," he whispered in the direction he was sure that the creature had headed towards. Time seemed to stop as he unconsciously held his breath, waiting for the creature to make the next move, whatever it would be. He heard a gasp and hoped that he had chosen the right language and tone of voice.

"Lonny?" came a hesitant, whispered reply. "Is that you?"

He knew now who it was he had tripped in his desperation for help and hoped that the favor he had done this creature in his attempt to preserve its life would not be looked on unkindly and that the creature was both willing and able to repay the debt. But hadn't he heard the voice greet him the same way both times? And had it just spoken in his own language?

* * *

AN: 

JadeAlmasy: I intend to! (lol) Hope you continue to enjoy!

* * *

"Friendly Banter", part 4: 

JCPuzzler: ----shocked---- ----opens mouth---- ----closes mouth---- ----opens it again---- ----is speechless---- Uh... ----squeaks---- ----tries again---- ----is still shocked---- ----finally succeeds---- YOU! ----frowns---- You. Don't. Believe. Me. ----is indignant---- I am too innocent and angelic! There is too a method...to...umm...what was it called again? I am not  
pretending! ----crickets---- ----notices crowd staring---- What are -you- looking at? My own...friend...doesn't believe me! ----lip quivers slightly in disbelief---- What have I ever done to you, my former friend? The 'Great Abra'? Who? ----frowns at laughter heard in background---- ----walks off, muttering---- Well! I never-- Just -who- does she think she is? ----continues to mutter----

Arami: Well that's a wrap, as they say in showbiz. ----talks to crowd...---- See she is mad at least in a honest way. I guess association with certain parties causes one to lose some sanity. -hehe... ----smiles at crowd brilliantly, naturally winning them over----. As you can tell from her "innocence" she is more like a crazy person who sadly mistakes her angelic attitude from what it really is, INSANITY! ----Haha, now all know the mind's inner workings in JCPuzzler...----...Aww shoot she gonna kill me now ----backs slowly away from direction of author----.


	15. Only Hope

AN-Reminder: Disclaimer: We all know that I do not own any recognizable characters in this story. However, Lonny and Maria are mine. This is definitely AU and written just for fun (and because I could not get the idea out of my head until I attempted to do something about it). I apologize in advance if anyone else out there has come up with this idea, but know that it would be purely coincidence, as I have never read Star Wars fanfic and have only recently seen the original trilogy, so it is very possible that I am entering territory that has already been explored.

Note: Truce at Bakura did not take place.

* * *

_"Take strength from those that need you"_

("Two Worlds" by Phil Collins)

Chapter 15

It was now getting dark enough for Lonny to be able to head out, but only if he was careful to stay in the shadows. Very carefully, he snuck out of the cave and headed down the hill. Ducking behind a boulder, he peeked back over his shoulder at the cave. There was no sign of life anywhere near it. 'Good. Maybe no one will go near it while I am gone.' He hid the canteen under his shirt to keep it from giving away his position, took a deep breath, and continued on, hoping that all three would be as he had left them upon his return…

* * *

Luke now knew what he must do. He could sense that his sister would not be here very soon, but why not? He replayed his last attempt to talk to her, to make her understand that he had encountered trouble. Then it hit him. He had not finished his description of the system! He realized that his only hope of being rescued, if he managed to escape, was to try to contact his sister through the Force again, though he was tired. 

'_Leia, can you hear me? If you can, you have to hurry. I do not know how much longer I can hang on… Oh, and Leia..._'

* * *

"Which one is it?" she growled in frustration. 

They had been looking through star charts, attempting to determine the location that Luke had described to her. '_A village burning on the seventh moon of a purplish planet, last of three._ What did he mean? How many dozens of star systems out there could possibly match that description?' Already, they had found five such possible systems: three planets, the last one had at least seven moons, in each.

"Maybe he meant that he is on the seventh moon of the last planet in the system. Maybe there are three other planets in the system, placing him on the fourth planet, not the third," Han suggested. "Or maybe he meant that there are three purple planets in the system?"

"I know what he told me. He meant every word that he said, exactly as he said it. He would not waste time and energy doing otherwise, especially if he had to make his message brief," Leia countered. 'I sure hope that he is able to give more specific directions to me, and soon, before I do something that I will regret later. Han is really starting to annoy me, suggesting that I did not hear Luke correctly.'

_"Leia, can you hear me? If you can, you have to hurry. I do not know how much longer I can hang on…"_

"Luke?" She walked a distance away from the others. "What is going on? Where are you? I cannot figure out where you are. I have it narrowed down quite a bit, but do not know which one! You must tell me!" She was frantic and did not even know if he could tell if she had answered him or not. All she wanted were answers and reassurance that he was still alive for her to find.

_"Oh, and Leia, look for a triple star."_

With a new goal in mind, she ran back to the others and grabbed a star chart. Frantically, her eyes scanned over first one area, then another. Glancing up, she noticed that everyone was just staring at her. "Do not just stand there, help me look for the system that my brother went to!" she demanded. They just looked at her wearily. "Look for a system with three planets and a triple star," she ordered.

"A triple star?" Han asked doubtfully.

"You heard me. My brother is out there somewhere and needs our help. He went to a system that contains a triple star. How many can there possibly be?"

"And what if there is no such system?" he countered.

"There is." 'There has to be…'

* * *

AN: Sorry I didn't update sooner... I haven't been feeling the greatest this past week...(not to mention being busy with school... :-( ... Anyways, here's an update for you, and hopefully it won't take so long to get the next one up... 

okanabe: WOW! Sounds like you've been _really_ busy! "...the edge of my computer chair!" -blushes- Well, thanks! I didn't realize that it was _that_ full of suspense... By the way, enjoying YOUR story... Keep up the good work!

* * *

AN -Remember- "Friendly Banter" is a series of replies (back and forth) between myself and a friend of mine... No one really gets hurt...just a bunch of senseless talk... -glances below- Uhh... Anyways...we sent these responses back and forth late at night, so we weren't really ourselves...-gulps nervously, hoping no one decides to take offense- Just a bunch of silliness, I mean it! 

"Friendly Banter", part 5:

JCPuzzler: ----spins around suddenly---- WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OFF THE STAGE! STOP TALKING TO -MY- AUDIENCE! ----takes several deep breaths---- ----smirks in satisfaction as 'friend' dashes off stage---- ----clears throats and turns to audience---- Now then, would someone please tell me -what- exactly this little ----glances back---- umm...friend of mine...has been telling you? ----smiles pleasantly at audience, before shooting an annoyed look in direction of said 'friend'---- ----yells at friend---- I heard that! -Now- you're gonna get it! ----remembers audience---- Oops...heh heh heh...just kidding... Okay, I'll see you all in a little bit... ----smiles nervously---- ----dashes off to tackle friend----

Arami: Aiii, hel...umphh! ----crowd hears the thud as JCPuzzler tackles friend---- ----The curtains suddenly warp from body rolling against it, rippppp.---- ----uh-oh, crowd looks on nervously at now ripped curtain, muffled screams being heard.---- ----Arami shrieks---- Get off of me! ----Crash/Splash!---- Haha! Arami triumphs over evil once again! ----Walks out slowly limping---- "I told you she wasn't innocent." ----looks out at the now silent crowd---- You heard her yourselves before she tackled me! ----crowd begins to murmur to themselves----


	16. Building Knowledge

_"Build high the walls Build strong the beams"_

("Two Worlds" by Phil Collins)

* * *

Chapter 16 

Finally, he arrived back at the village. From his vantage point overlooking the village, he finally saw the full extent of the damage. Yet he was unable to spot the well from here. 'I have to get closer,' he thought. As he got closer, he had to scan his surroundings more and more often. Otherwise, he would be caught off guard should anyone still be here. With a sigh of relief, he spotted the well. 'Now to see if there is anything left in it,' he thought…

* * *

He had finally found out the creature's name: Maria. So the creature was a girl, but why did she insist on calling him 'Lonny'? She had helped him stop the flow of blood and he, in turn, had checked to see if she was alright. All he had found was that she was afraid, thought that his name was Lonny, whoever that was, that she was still having trouble breathing properly as an aftereffect of all the smoke, and that she had hurt herself when she had fallen inside the burning house. 

"Maria? How did you come to find me?" he asked curiously, hoping to find out something important that would help his current situation.Maybe her answer would even provide him with a much-needed distraction...

"Do you not remember? Back when your town had burned down? Remember when my people found you? They debated over what to do with you, but then I pointed out that you were but a child and needed our help to survive. Remember how suspicious they were of you?" she asked, smiling at some memory. "I suppose that if I had not talked some sense into them, and agreed to take care of you, they might very well have left you to your own devices, young as you were. Did you ever figure out why that old stick had managed to survive the fire? I saw you pick it up, and then it started to glow, almost. What did you do to make it do that?" she asked him, bewildered and confused.

"What 'old stick'?" Luke asked her.

"The one that they were looking for. That is what they were looking for, isn't it?"

'Wait a minute. "Old stick"? "Glow, almost"? Survived a fire? She saw me pick it up?' The pieces started to fall into place. Suddenly, he understood what she was talking about. "You mean my lightsaber? Is that what you are asking about?" he asked her.

"Lightsaver? Never heard of such a thing…" she responded, not understanding.

"Lightsaber, not lifesaver," he corrected patiently.

"Well, whatever it is, I have never heard of such a thing," she replied. "By the by, what is it, anyways?"

"A lightsaber is a type of weapon, wielded mostly by Jedi knights, of which I may be the last."

"Jedi knights? I may have heard of one, though it was a long time ago, before we found you, Lonny dear. Strange fellas, really. Or at least, that is what I have heard," she stated.

"Who is this 'Lonny' that you keep referring to?" he questioned.

"You didn't hit your head, did you? Don't you remember your own name, Lonny?"

Luke decided that he ought to just let the matter drop. After all, she had determined that he was this 'Lonny' and could not be persuaded otherwise. Perhaps it would just be better if he went along with it, if only so she would not panic…

'I only hope that Leia finds me soon, so that **she** won't panic…'

* * *

AN: For those of you that care (and actually read AN's), I am feeling much better than I was the last time I updated, but I have Finals to deal with this week. I intend to do several updates (when I get a chance) over the summer, but don't count on it because I will have to work (so I can continue to go to school). Anyways, I will never simply abandon this story (for those of you who are truly into reading it). I hope all of you continue to enjoy this story. I may (or may not) get at least one or two more up before I head back home for the summer...

okanabe: I hope that I answered your questions to full satisfaction... Remember: if you need to know more, let me know and I'll see what I can do to help!

* * *

"Friendly Banter," Part 6: 

JCPuzzler: ----JCPuzzler stumbles out onto stage, fuming---- ----points at Arami,  
shouting---- She started it! You heard her! Don't listen to her!  
----Arami turns to JCPuzzler---- ----JCPuzzler gulps, backs away---- ----screams----  
NOT MY FAULT! -She's- the one who tore the curtain! ----hears Arami  
mumbling---- NOO! Don't listen to her! ----backs into side of  
stage---- Don't-ahhh! ----falls---- ----groan is heard---- ----Arami laughs  
evilly---- ----JCPuzzler gasps, cries out---- Help! Save me! She really  
**is** evil- -really! ----Arami stares---- ----JCPuzzler tries to back away----

Arami: Not only is she the one to cast the first stone of blame, but by her actions  
you can tell she is strangely weird. Odd isn't it? ----looks appealingly at  
crowd---- That certainly explains her weird behavior of attacking me then  
acting like I'm the one who started it, I was protecting myself. It was  
purely self-defense, ----snickers silently---- ----...sadly shakes head at crowd.----  
----Arami asks the crowd---- I do have the right to protect myself, do I not? ----turns face away from crowd and smirks at JCPuzzler, who at the moment is speechless----

JCPuzzler: ----is in shock---- How. Dare. You. Say. That...! ----thinks---- ----comes up with idea---- ----begins to smirk at something only she can see----


	17. Search, Anxious, & Survival

_"A new life is waiting But danger's no stranger here"_

("Two Worlds" by Phil Collins)

* * *

Chapter 17 

Earlier…

"Princess Leia! Come here, quick!"

Normally she would have taken a small amount of pleasure in making him wait for her to turn towards him to see what he deemed to be so important that he would demand her presence in such a way.

However, this was not 'normally': her brother was in trouble, as well as missing.

"What is it, Han?"

"I have found a triple star-triple planet system. What do you think?"

"How many moons?"

"Well, the first one appears to have…" he started, watching her reaction.

"I don't care about the first planet, nor the second planet. How many moons does the third planet have?" she demanded, all business.

"I think that there are about twelve. In any case, it has more than the six that you said it had to have, minimum."

"Seven."

"What?"

"I said it had to have at least seven. He told me he was on the seventh moon," she explained, slightly distracted. "In any case, unless anyone else has been successful in finding another system that fits this description, I think we should go and check it out immediately…"

* * *

Lonny carefully crept closer to the well and peered inside. The rope had been cut, but maybe he could find another bucket to attach to it. He knew that he had to hurry, but he could not afford to be careless. Incredibly, he discovered what he needed just across the path from his hiding place, though retrieving it would leave him in plain view of anyone who happened to look in his direction. Taking a chance, and a deep breath, he rushed forward and made a grab for it. He saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye and dashed back to his hiding spot. Anxious to get back to the family he had rescued, yet determined not to leave without the water they so desperately needed or to be followed, he cautiously peeked around the hill, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger…

* * *

"You! Get up and follow me!" said a voice that might have frightened him if he had not heard a trace of fear in it. 

"What do you want of me?" he asked.

"No questions! You are to come with me, now!"

He was tempted to roll his eyes, but realized that he no longer had his hood on and that Maria was looking at him with wide eyes. He knew that she was scared, but he had learned that his survival depended on his ability to control his fear, as well as his anger, no matter what the reason for it. He smiled slightly to reassure Maria and followed the Trooper out of the room, wondering again, 'What is going on? They did not kill me when they had a chance to. Why? And why do they seem to think that I do not need to be tied up properly? Though that one may be to my advantage…'

* * *

AN: Sorry about the long wait, everyone!I promise I'll update as soon as possible! -ducks objects thrown at author- -gulp!- Heh, heh... Uh...R&R, please? 

okanabe: No problem... Just glad I was able to help! I intend to continue (both R&R your story and posting chaps of this one)... I am currently trying to 'puzzle' my way through a sequel, but it's rather slow going and I am having to change a few details here and there in THIS story in order to help things flow a little better. (Not to mention my _Incredible_ urge to add quotes, song lyrics, chapter titles, and lines from as-of-yet-unwritten-or-discovered poems to each chapter--as I go...) My current schedule (and family) aren't exactly cooperative in this area, are they?

;-)

**General AN:** Updates may end up a little shorter than usual. -At least, for a little while, though mainly for suspense and to switch back and forth properly…

* * *

"Friendly Banter", Part 7: 

Arami: Like I'm scared, what could you possibly think of? ----smiles in a devious way, failing to see the look in JCPuzzler's eyes.---- ----Crowd looks on with anticipation wondering what will happen next?---- ----Both are facing off, with identical expressions.----

JCPuzzler: ----JCPuzzler suddenly looks away, smiling mischievously---- ----begins to concentrate, then slips off, even as Arami continues to think she is still staring at JCPuzzler---- ----a snicker is heard, then a slight gasp as person snickering realizes that sound gives off position---- ----JCPuzzler suddenly allows illusion of self to fade, revealing her absence----

Arami:---- What? Where'd she go? ----crowd has no answer---- ----Meanwhile... JCPuzzler is looking over a valley, standing on a slight hill, smirking, imagining Arami's shock that JCPuzzler would use the Force to sneak away...----


	18. Unclear & Unknown

Chapter 18

Luke was lead into a large room. He did not recognize the figure before him, but maybe 'Lonny' would have. Unfortunately, Lonny was not here; Luke was. As it was, he found himself face to face with a figure wearing a robe, not too unlike the Jedi robe he was apt to wear at times, but a darker color. Reaching out through the Force, he hoped that he had the strength to endure whatever this person had in mind and that he could use the Force to block some of the worst of it. The figure looked up, seemingly right at him, and then motioned for the escort to leave…

* * *

Lonny had seen something in the distance; he was sure of it! The question was, **what** was it? He could not be careless, but he could not just wait around to find out what it was, either. He sprang into action, hoping to accomplish his self-imposed task before whatever it was decided to show up, taking away his opportunity to retrieve the water. He had already wasted time in his attempt to go unnoticed, but he had not known that the village had been deserted shortly after he had left it. In his haste, one of his boots came off of his feet, but he did not have the time to think about retrieving it…

* * *

AN: Sorry it took me so long to put this up... I appreciate all who reviewed this time around. I have decided, though, that you, my readers, would prefer to have a chapter without reviewer responses instead of no chapter at all. Thus, I intend to put up more than one chapter, since you have all been so patient... Enjoy! 


	19. Uncertainty

Chapter 19

His task finally completed, Lonny looked up and saw that what he had seen earlier was a group of people, much closer now, and that they were looking around, as if searching for something. His initial reaction would have been fear, but he could not chance another moment's delay: he had already been gone for a long time. If he quenched his thirst before heading back, he would not have to return right away, as he could afford to give the water in the newly filled canteen to the others. He quickly drank, using a dipper, straight from the bucket, then rose to leave. Suddenly, he realized that he must have caught the attention of one of the group that he had been watching. He ran, knowing that he was a bit closer to the cave than they were and that he could reach it in a roundabout way, if need be. He hoped that they were not the type to attack someone who was unarmed, but he knew that he had never seen their kind before. 'At least, I do not remember seeing anyone like that before,' he thought…

* * *

Leia knew that this had to be the right place. She could feel it. Even if he was not here at the moment, this was the place he had described to her. Right now, that was the main reason why they were even **trying** to locate her brother in such a forsaken environment. The key word here was _trying_. As of this moment, there had been no sign that anyone had ever even **been** to this place… 

"Over here! Come look at this!"

The voice calling out tore her from her thoughts. She walked over, looking around carefully as she did so. When she reached the spot, one of the others pointed to a boot that looked as if it had been worn recently. She immediately recognized it as a bantha-hide boot, the type that Luke might have worn, shortly after they had met. After all, banthas were on his home planet, weren't they? If she remembered correctly, bantha-hide boots were popular, not because of fashion, but because they helped a person walk around in desert areas as easily as a bantha itself by keeping the temperature down low enough to be tolerated in the hotter areas, yet warm enough in colder climates that a person's feet would not freeze; at least, not right away…

The question remained, though: where was Luke?

A sudden movement caught her eye. Rocks and dirt rolling down a hill? Looking further, she spotted a lone figure, running, but he was not running toward them; he was running _away_ from them...

Puzzled at the fact that someone was running _away_ from the group, she decided that maybe someone should follow the figure and see if he knew what had happened here. 'Maybe it is Luke himself, but he does not recognize us from this distance?' she thought hopefully…

* * *

AN: 

.-Bantha-hide boots were quite popular, as the creature (similar to a mammoth with extra fur and horns on the males, but living in a desert area, instead of during the ice age) was found on various planets throughout the galaxy and the bantha's home planet was unknown. As a result of the fact that the bantha's home planet is unknown and banthas are found on so many planets, I feel that it is very possible that they would be found on the moon that Lonny has grown up on. The site telling about them is listed below:

www.starwars. com/databank/creature/bantha?ideu


	20. Who? & The Runner

Chapter 20

If Luke was confused before, he was even more so now. Another figure had entered the room, though it seemed to be quite a bit shorter than the first one. He knew that he was not only outnumbered at the moment, but also injured. His side was a lot better, but not quite healed yet and most of his energy had gone into trying to get it to heal faster, leaving him more tired than normal. The new figure started speaking in a strange language to the one already in the room. Not for the first time, Luke found himself wishing that See-Threepio was with him, if only to translate what was being said.

...What Luke didn't know, was that the shorter figure was a Noghri and that it could smell his bloodline, tracing it back to Darth Vader himself. It was for this reason that the shorter creature kept looking at him and gesturing as it spoke in its odd language. The Noghri was attempting to protect the son of its race's savior from death and defend its actions, stating that it could not allow him to die. In short, the Noghri had been responsible for the fact that Luke was still alive. If he had known all of this, Luke would have been extremely grateful to the Noghri. As it was, Luke had little chance of understanding what was going on, other than it seemed to involve him, though he was able to guess that the two were arguing about what should be done with him…

* * *

"Stop!" came a voice from behind him, though it sounded far enough away that he was able to ignore it fairly easily. He decided that he would have to enter a different cave and use the tunnel system to circle around to the one that he sought. He kept on running, trying to not be too obvious that he was changing his direction, in hopes that whoever was following would not notice until too late that he was not going straight anymore. He allowed himself to peek at the cave where he had left the others as he past by it, hoping his pursuer would think that he was merely checking behind himself, which he did as well. Then it dawned on him that he had not heard the voice of a Trooper, but a voice that sounded concerned, slightly worried. Who would be chasing him that would sound like that? He ignored the thought that he might have known someone who sounded like that at one point and kept going, but his thoughts had taken his mind off of where he was headed, for just a moment, but it was long enough. The distracting thoughts, combined with the heat of the ground as he ran, and his uneven gait, due to losing his boot, proved to be his undoing and he tripped over a hidden rock, one he would have realized was there, had he not been preoccupied at the moment. Franticly now, he regained his footing and took his other boot off, allowing him to run more freely, although the ground was almost unbearably hot, uneven, and shifting sand and dirt making it easier to slip. He had spent several years on this surface, though, and knew how to at least keep from falling again-if he could stay focused on what was happening…

* * *

Leia had seen the figure running and hoped that it was indeed Luke, but something did not seem right. She was unsure as to what it was, but she knew in her heart that it could not have been Luke. Then the words she had heard in her mind, through the Force, came back to her: '_I have really done it this time. I do not know where I am anymore. The last thing I remember…' '… you have to hurry. I do not know how much longer…'_ She knew with sudden clarity that it could not be her brother-he must be injured somehow-, but it was too late; she had already sent Han and Chewie in that direction…

* * *


	21. Salawhat? & Tired

Chapter 21

Luke suddenly found himself to be the center of attention. He had realized that, though he felt weak, if he simply allowed the Force to flow through him, the pain was not so bad and he was able to concentrate better on the current situation. Belatedly, he realized that it might not have been such a good idea after all, since the taller of the two figures was now paying more attention to him, almost as if he knew that Luke was able to use the Force and was currently trying to use it to his advantage. Suddenly, the figure summoned a couple of Troopers and spoke to them. Now he would be able to understand at least some of what was going on…

"Bring me a couple of ysalamiri. Do not forget to get a leash for them as well. One is to be tied to our young 'guest'," he stated. Once they had left, he turned to Luke. "What is your name, boy?" he asked.

Luke paused. Should he tell the figure before him who he really was, or should he tell him that his name was Lonny? Would he know, either way? He decided to answer with a question of his own, hoping that it would sidetrack the figure long enough for him to figure out what to tell him, if anything. "Who are you? Tell me first, lest you miss your chance," he boldly declared.

The figure just looked back at him. When there was no further response, he took the time to notice that his prisoner was determined to say nothing further. "Who is your father?" he replied, hoping to get a response.

"Tell me the answer to my own question first, otherwise you will get nothing further out of me," he stubbornly insisted. He was trying to bide his time until the right moment. As it was, his instincts were screaming at him to get out of here, and fast. The problem was, he had no idea why. He wanted his questions answered before he left here, too. Questions such as: who was this person in front of him? Why did he single out Luke? Did he think that Luke was Lonny? What did he mean by 'salamari'? These questions, and more, were driving Luke near to the point of distraction. If he could get some answers, maybe it would help, as the questions kept right on stacking up, with no escape. He had been attempting to hold the pain at bay, as well, by using the Force. If only he knew the answer to his last question, he would have turned and tried his absolute hardest to get away as fast as he could…

* * *

Lonny knew that he was slowing. He had not had anything to eat since he had started out that morning, and that was before the attack. He had had very little to drink since then as well, but he could not afford to think about that. He had to get away from the duo that was chasing him. He was getting tired: tired from lack of food; tired from little to drink; tired from inhaling smoke, in his rescue attempts; tired of running in the heat… When he checked behind him once again, he stumbled. He was so close! If he could just reach the right cave, he would be able to lose his pursuers in the tunnels! Just as he reached it, however, his strength began to give out on him. Silently, he lowered himself to the floor of the cave, hoping that he would go unnoticed…

* * *

AN: 

Solarstorm: Hey. Who do you think you are again? ;) Yeah, when I heard about that species, I thought that it would be a perfect excuse, as far as Luke even being alive at this point...

Anyways, sorry I took so long. (School and all...) I promise it won't be as long on the next one. :)


	22. Luke!

Chapter 22

"Stop! Luke! It's us, Han and Chewie!"

He had been calling out to the figure before him, hoping that he would turn back towards them, but to no avail. "Blast it all, Luke! We're just trying to help you! What do you think you were doing, leaving the way that you did, anyways?"

He saw the figure look at him again, but he continued on, as if he were running away on purpose. 'Well, he **is** running away on purpose. The question is, why?' he thought to himself. Just then, the figure tripped again. He could clearly see that he was barefoot and was now getting close enough to know that it _must_ be Luke. Only thing was, he was not stopping. He seemed determined to reach whatever destination he had in mind. The young man was visibly tired, yet would not give up. Han kept running. Then he suddenly realized that the figure seemed to be headed for a group of cave openings. 'Great. Just great. What if he gets lost in them?' he thought, getting worried by Luke's apparent lack of realization of who it was who was following him. 'Maybe he had a momentary relapse?' The thought, as quickly as it came, was just as quickly forgotten as the figure ducked inside one of the caves. Han dashed inside, not noticing the figure sitting in the shadows, and kept going until he reached a split in the cave tunnel. Hoping that Luke had not just run inside one of them, he checked the ground, finally noticing that there only appeared to be one set of footprints, as Chewie was a bit slower than Han in the heatand had stopped just outside of the cave. He decided to slowly backtrack to the entrance and look for footprints. It was not until he had nearly reached the entrance that he noticed a second set. He followed the second set with his eyes, ending at a figure slumped against the wall of the cave. Luke…

* * *

The Troopers reappeared, each holding a strange-looking creature in their arms… 


	23. Not Alone

Chapter 23

One of the Troopers came closer. One of the creatures, already attached to a frame of some sort, was tied to him. The result was nearly instantaneous. Suddenly, it was as if the Force had been ripped from his grasp. Without it, he felt weak. Weaker than he would have ever thought possible, he was unsure if he would be able to stand another second. It was as if a great burden had been placed on his shoulders and he was powerless to remove it. Then he realized that he was not quite alone. He felt something he had never realized before: though he no longer seemed capable of using the Force to fuel himself, he was not completely alone, as one might have expected. He sensed someone through a tie that was not quite tangible, but he knew with sudden clarity that it had always been there. He had always been linked to another, but whom? All that he had been through in the last couple of days was starting to takeits toll, now that he had nothing substantial enough to sustain him. He experimentally decided to try to push some of his discomfort through the new bond he had found…

* * *

Suddenly, he cried out. He had been tired before, but now he found himself utterly exhausted. To top it off, he now felt a pain in his side. Reaching down, he felt nothing, but the pain was still there. As his senses returned, he realized that he was no longer in a cave, the last place that he remembered being. He opened his eyes to find the same two that had been chasing him, along with a girl who seemed to exude power, and a few others, staring at him. 

"Are you alright?" one of them asked him now.

He paused, thinking. He felt fine, mostly. He looked down at his side, feeling it with his hand again.

"Did you hurt yourself?" another asked.

He shook his head, a puzzled frown evident on his face. "I am all right, I think. What happened?"

"We were looking for you. When we saw you, you started to run away from us. The question is, why were you running away from us? You finally stopped inside one of the caves, but apparently you collapsed shortly afterwards."

"Why were you chasing me?" he demanded.

There was silence in the room for a minute, as each stared at him, wondering at the hostility he seemed to be harboring.

"Luke?" the girl cautiously questioned him.

Lonny did not respond.

"Luke? Is everything alright?" she persisted.

Finally, he realized that she seemed to be addressing him. He looked at her, confused as to why she was calling him 'Luke' and why she seemed to know him, when he obviously had no clue as to who she was. Finally, he whispered, "Who is Luke?"

Seeing her hopeful face fall, he wondered what was going on…


End file.
